2017 News

Helping Ajok Uogu in South Sudan

Thursday, 27 July 2017

In response to the famine in South Sudan, GMP is partnering with the ACT Alliance South Sudan forum members and the South Sudan Council of Churches. Here is a recent report:

Drought and armed conflict have pushed tens of thousands of people out of their homes, and away from their farms, leaving them unable to adequately feed themselves. Many families had just returned from years of displacement. Awok was admitted to the hospital with severe malnutrition. But help is getting through to people like Awok. The women in the photo, for example, have received new watering cans and happily pose outside their community garden. Helping people quickly restart their own means of making a livelihood is vital to stemming the length of the crisis.

Norwegian Church Aid has reach 41,666 households with Water, Sanitation & Hygiene support and 23,300 households with Food Security and Livelihood support in Aweil, Wau, Juba and Twic.

Two counties in Unity State have been pulled back from famine as a result of immediate and sustained short term multi-sector humanitarian assistance. The overall situation remains dire across the country as the food insecurity situation is seriously deteriorating, with an estimated 6 million people experiencing food shortages of various degrees.

The impacts from armed conflict, economic crisis, and below-average harvests that were exhausted before the ongoing lean season are the main reasons for the high levels of food insecurity. Access for humanitarian assistance remains a major challenge, with most of the food insecure areas facing high levels of insecurity, displacement, loss of livelihoods, market failure and impassable roads.

GMP is working through the ACT Alliance who has partner organisations on the ground, including Norwegian Church Aid and The Lutheran World Federation. These organisations are supporting the South Sudan Council of Churches as it struggles to mediate the conflict.

The response from GMP supporters has been phenomenal with over $AUD165,000 raised from 294 individuals and 55 churches. This is a significant amount in the overall appeal which has so far raised US $ 676,879 of the US$ 9.2M target. That means GMP supporters have contributed 19% of the funds so far! Christian Aid has not been drawing funds from the ACT Alliance appeal but has raised an additional $US5.25M which will assist in the response.

Your tax-deductible gift to GMP through Churches of Christ Overseas Aid (COCOA) will continue to bring humanitarian assistance to those in greatest need.